VOL. 17 – NO. 3
In This Issue
Articles
WITCH POOL
by John S. Azar .................................3
MEMORIES OF DAD AT THE CANYON
IN 1941-1946
by Barbara Stephens Odderstol .......5
www.GrandCanyonHistory.org
JUL/AUG/SEP 2006
Verkamp
Centennial
Celebration
Michael Verkamp shares colorful stories about
growing up on the edge of the Grand Canyon.
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION A
TRIBUTE TO A FAMILY'S STRENGTH
by Jackie Brown, Associate Grand
Canyon News Editor..........................6
Departments
PRESIDENT'S
LETTER ............................................2
GRAND CANYON ASSOCIATION
EVENTS ..........................................11
Susie Verkamp with
Park Superintendent Joe Alston
showing a certificate of appreciation
KOLB STUDIO
EXHIBIT...........................................12
John Verkamp
[Above photos from Grand Canyon News]
Witch
Pool
^ Judge Stephens
[Photo from NAU Special Collections, Call no.: NAU.PH.99.21.28, dated 1930, Item: 4926]
1
President's Letter
It is summer at Grand Canyon National Park. Here at Grand Canyon Village it is hard
to avoid the observation that at this time of year, visitors from around the globe arrive in
droves while wildlife heads for the backcountry. More accurately said, all the human
activity diverts year-round residents' attention from the park's natural wonders to
humanity's hubbub, where silence, rules of the road, concern for litter, and small-town
courtesy erode for a few months.
But of course, if we did not have the visitors, we would not have the national park,
and I would not have a job (or one this good), so who am I to complain? This year,
visitation may indeed reach five million for the first time in our history, and park
administrators are engaged in the planning and construction of facilities to accommodate
park visitors. Since I do live here and most of you do not, I thought I would let you know
some of the projects recently completed, underway, or in the planning stages.
Some of our larger projects concern South Rim roads and traffic circulation in general.
Last year we completed the reconfiguration of the road at Desert View, steering traffic and
parking away from the viewpoint itself. After a brief hiatus (a year or so) we are again
finishing up the new east entrance station, and travel through the area will improve greatly
once that is done. Desert View Road itself was widened a few years ago, and our trail crew is
beginning to rehabilitate historic walls at viewpoints on the way to the village.
For several years, I have been involved with the planning to overhaul Hermit Road
out to the west of the village. This historic road, completed in 1935, has lasted 70 years
without major work, but is in dire need of rehabilitation. It is so bad in places that the
asphalt ruts could irrigate an ancestral puebloan's cornfield, and shuttle bus drivers in their
8-1/2-foot-wide buses have to inhale as they pass each other on 9-foot lanes designed for
Model-A Fords. The years of planning have been devoted to cultural and natural resource
concerns surrounding this road, as well as to sensitive design, but it looks like the actual
roadwork may begin as early as the spring of 2008.
Several Greenway paths have been built in the past few years, such that visitors can
now walk–and, in some places, ride bicycles–along or near the rim from Pipe Creek
Overlook beside Desert View Drive all the way to Powell Point along Hermit Road, a
distance of five miles or so. Most of this route is also accessible to people in wheelchairs,
with grades generally less than 5%. Plans call for extending the Greenway to the South
Kaibab Trailhead, and from the village south to the town of Tusayan, as well as to
complete a Greenway from the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim as far as the North
Kaibab Trailhead. We are also studying the most logical path of the Arizona Trail from the
park's south boundary, across the canyon along the Kaibab Trails, and north to the park
boundary, connecting with forest service trails on either side.
And the park has once again embarked on an overall South Rim Transportation Plan to
help relieve some of the congestion at Grand Canyon Village. Remember the "light rail"? It
is currently sidetracked, but public scoping is underway on a plan that will probably include
a parking lot at Canyon View Information Plaza (which we have begun to call the visitor
center), a parking lot in Tusayan, and a shuttle bus system between the two–mandatory at the
peak of summer season, voluntary or perhaps not operational in winter. Time will tell the
ultimate configuration, but this project is on the fast track, along with another project to
organize better the Bright Angel Trailhead area west of Bright Angel Lodge.
In a period of diminishing appropriations for our national parks, you might ask how
we come up with the money for these and other projects. Well, "soft" funding (as opposed
to congressional appropriations, which is "hard" funding) comes from many sources, and
one good and consistent source of construction and maintenance monies derives from the
Fee Demonstration Program, implemented in 1997. Prior to that year, park entrance fees
went to the federal treasury, and most money was doled out to the various parks through
annual appropriations bills; now, 80% of your entrance fee remains within the park (the
other 20% goes to smaller parks with less visitation) to fund new construction,
maintenance, and cultural and natural resource studies related to these projects.
Yesterday, I was driving home from the village store along Market Plaza Road and
got caught in a traffic jam. One of our NPS garbage trucks had stopped in the middle of
the road while the park employees got out to direct traffic around a visitor's car that had
plowed into the ditch while the occupants ogled a deer on the other side of the road.
I long for November.
Mike Anderson
2 GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL SOCIETY – THE OL' PIONEER, JUL/AUG/SEP 2006
The Ol' Pioneer
The Quarterly Magazine of the
Grand Canyon Historical Society
VOL. 17 – NO. 3
JUL/AUG/SEP 2006
EDITOR: Diane Cassidy
Submit photos, stories, and comments to
the editor of The Ol' Pioneer at:
[email protected] or
PO Box 10067, Prescott AZ 86304.
The Historical Society was established in
July 1984 as a non-profit corporation to
develop and promote appreciation,
understanding and education of the
earlier history of the inhabitants and
important events of the Grand Canyon
and surrounding area.
The Ol' Pioneer is published quarterly
by the GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL
SOCIETY who also publishes THE
BULLETIN, a monthly newspaper. Both
publications are a benefit of membership. Membership in the Society is open
to any person interested in the historical,
educational, and charitable purposes of
the Society. Membership is on an annual
basis using the standard calendar; and
dues of $20 are payable on the 1st of
January each year.
The Ol' Pioneer magazine is copyrighted
by the Grand Canyon Historical Society,
Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced or used
in any form without permission of the
publisher.
GCHS Officers/Board of Directors
Mike Anderson, President;
Mike Coltrin, Vice President and
Outings Coordinator
Susan Billingsley, Treasurer
Todd Berger, Secretary
George Billingsley, Chairperson of
Pioneer Award
Dan Cassidy, Membership Committee
Chairman
Beverly Loomis
Jim Ohlman
Web site:
www.GrandCanyonHistory.org
Witch Pool
by John S. Azar - Fredonia
.
Witch Pool (Illustration from Powell)
Of the four plateaus that slope
into the Grand Canyon from the north
(Kaibab, Kanab, Uinkeret, and
Shivwits), the Uinkeret is currently
the least explored. Other than the
motorists who travel the 120 mile
round trip on dirt roads to see the
view of the river from the Toroweap
Overlook, the plateau gets few
visitors. The Mormon families that
homesteaded here are gone, their
descendants living in Utah. The
weathered remains of their homes and
fences are in the red dirt, woven into
the fields they farmed during the wet
years. To the west is Mt. Trumbull,
and to the south the Colorado River
winds its way to Lake Mead. On the
flank of Trumbull, a reliable water
source holds much of the human
history found on this plateau. This
pool of seemingly permanent water is
referred to variously as Witch Pool or
Witches' Pocket. Near the pool on the
lava wall, a white cross has been
painted onto the surface. Who painted
this cross? When was it painted? Was
it the Spanish Priests, Powell's men,
or one of the early homesteaders?
The reference to witches comes
from Clarence Dutton, who visited the
pocket in 1880. In his treatise The
Tertiary History of the Grand Canyon
District, he describes the water pocket
as "a weird place, the abode of
witches." This term agrees with Piute
legend for the locale. A story told to
John Wesley Powell by the Shivwits
Chief Tomor'rountikai is a tale involving the murder of a Crane/Man named
Sikor' by "He Who Had a Stone
Shirt." (Tumpwinai'rogwinump).
After killing Sikor', Stone Shirt
orders his captive slave (wife of
Sikor'), to kill her newborn son.
Instead, she hides the baby under her
skirts and secrets him away to his
grandmother. The grandmother raises
the child and after he splits into two
identical brothers, avenges his father's
death. Moments after the death of
Stone Shirt, his two magical twin
daughters commit suicide, and in
doing so are transformed into
Innupin, or spirits that inhabit dust
devils. They blow around nearby
cliffs during the day, then come home
to Witch Pool for the night. Frederick
Dellenbaugh, in his book A Canyon
Voyage, describes a Kaibab Piute
chief's (Chuar'rumpeak) encounter
with the Innupin while camped at the
water pocket in March of 1872:
After one of his obliging men
pulled off his shoes, the chief smoked
a cigarette reclining in a princely
way beside the fire. Suddenly, he
jumped to his feet and listened
intently as he peered through the
night gloom.
Dellenbaugh asked him what he
had heard:
'Innupin,' the chief whispered
solemnly, never breaking his stare.
Another observer of a night at
Witch Pool was the famous artist
Thomas Moran. In a letter to his wife
dated August 13, 1873 Mr. Moran
writes:
My Dear Wife,
The noon after my last letter was
dated we left camp for the Grand
Canon at the foot of To-Ro-Weap
Valley...we got into a volcanic
country full of old craters and lava
and reached the In-nu-pits peccavo,
or Witches pocket in the lava rocks at
the foot of Mt. Trumbull where we
found a large pocket of clear water
but of bad taste from decomposed
vegetation. This day we travelled 35
miles. From our camp at the pocket
the wall of the Grand Canon was
visible some 15 miles down the
valley. The Indians are very superstitious and Jim did not much like our
camping so near the pocket. During
the night I was awakened by a wolf
...he was not more than 12 feet from
where we were lying, and it being
moonlight, I saw him clearly. . .[the
next] evening Jack Hillers the photographer was bringing a canteen of
water from the pocket when a huge
rattlesnake glided between his feet
and he got a thorough scare. We
searched for the snake with some
burning sage brush and I killed it
with a stone. It measured fully 3 1/2
feet long...the Indian boy I told you
had been bitten by one died after
living nearly 3 days. We left the
Canon pocket at the In-nu-pits
peccavo, and Indian Jim was very
desirous that we should go somewhere else to camp as he said the
little imps would hurt the horses as
well as ourselves.
John Powell knew he would have
his men surveying the plateaus north
of the Grand Canyon in 1872 and
wanted assurance from the Piutes that
they wouldn't attack them. He also
wanted to confirm the deaths of the
three men that left his first expedition
(1869) at the mouth of Separation
Canyon. He first went to Salt Lake
City and met with Brigham Young.
Brigham was planning a trip to Pipe
Spring and invited Powell to
accompany him. Powell accepted the
offer. The party arrived at the spring
on September 13, 1870. At Pipe
Spring, which is located at the base of
the Vermillion Cliffs west of
Fredonia, Arizona, Powell engaged
two Piute guides to show him the way
to the Shivwits Plateau. Powell hoped
to meet with members of the Shivwits
Piute tribe that inhabited the area.
Jacob Hamblin also went along to act
as an interpreter at the meeting. In
addition to meeting with the
Shivwits, Powell wanted to find a
way to the river near Vulcan Rapid
(Lava Falls) where he might resupply his upcoming river trip. The
...continued on page 4
GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL SOCIETY – THE OL' PIONEER, JUL/AUG/SEP 2006 3
Witch Pool
...continued from page 3
party left Pipe Spring on September
14 and camped at Wild Band Pockets
the first night out. The next day's
travel brought them to Witch Pool. In
his book, The Exploration of the
Colorado River and its Canyons, he
describes coming into camp:
At dusk we reach the water
pocket. It is a deep gorge on the flank
of this great mountain [Mt. Trumbull].
During the rainy season the water
rolls down the mountain side, plunging over precipices, and excavates a
deep basin in the solid rock below.
This basin, hidden from the sun, holds
water the year round.
In September of 2004, I decided
to visit Witch Pool to see for myself
what it held. Joining me for the
weekend were two vehicles, four
spare tires, extra gas, plenty of food
and water, three friends, and three
dogs. We headed out from Fredonia
early on Labor Day morning and
motored out to the vicinity of Mt.
Trumbull. We stopped and admired
the rebuilt Bundy Schoolhouse,
signed the register, and continued on
our way. We reached the camp below
Witch Pool and hiked up to inspect.
The pool had plenty of water but was
muddy. Some animals had been
playing in it recently, leaving their
footprints in the mud in front of the
pool. Etched onto the rock face below
the pool are Native American
petroglyphs, the initials PE, a zia
sign, and the white cross. Above the
pool on another rock face, an image
of a coiled snake is found.
The locals living on the Strip
believe the white cross was painted on
the rock by the Spanish Priests
Dominguez and Escalante. This seems
unlikely as the expedition was never
closer than 14 miles from this site.
They were in a big hurry to get back
to Santa Fe and had no time for
exploration. Their provisions and
morale were extremely low when they
camped near Hat Knoll for two days,
on October 18 and 19, 1776, at a camp
they named San Samuel. There is no
mention in their journal of anyone
leaving camp on either day.
Innupin Pikavu Witch’s Water Pocket by J.K. Hillers, 1872
There are others that believe the
cross was painted on by Powell's men
on September 16, 1870. On that day
Powell hiked to the top of a nearby
hill while his men were busy
breaking camp and preparing the
horses for travel back to Pipe Spring.
There is no evidence that any member
of Powell's party painted the cross.
There is, however, the inscription
with the initials "PE"
scribed onto the lava
face. These initials
could stand for Powell
Expedition.
Clarence Dutton
makes no mention of
the white cross when
he visited the site in
1880. John Riffey, a
ranger at Tuweep for
four decades, said that
Dutton would have
mentioned the white
cross in his journal:
He [Clarence Dutton] came in
the late 1800's and was meticulous in
reporting and would have mentioned
the cross. We know the cross was
there in 1917.
It took some time to put the cross
on the wall. According to Earl
Spendlove (Desert Magazine, June
1964):
It was approximately two feet
high, a foot and a half across, and the
horizontal and vertical bars were
4 GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL SOCIETY – THE OL' PIONEER, JUL/AUG/SEP 2006
about three inches in width. It had
been picked into the black lava rock
with a pointed object and the bottoms
of the depressions filled in with a
whitish material. Apparently after the
cross was completed, it had been
pounded with a piece of limestone
and the lime adhered to the
roughenedrock, giving it a grayish
cast.
Who is responsible for the cross? If
we are to believe John
Riffey (which I do), it
was applied between
1880 and 1917. Early
white settlers came
into the area in the
last decade of the 19th
Century and survived
until the climate
changed from wet to
dry. Most left during
the great depression
of the 1930's. The two
families that homesteaded closest to
the Witch Pool were the Kent and
Schmutz families. There are
inscriptions pecked by these families
scattered from Tuweep to Tuckup,
but none of the descendents of these
early ranchers I've contacted
remember their parents or
grandparents relating any information
about the white cross.
It remains one of the unsolved
mysteries of the Uinkeret Plateau.
Memories of Dad at the Canyon in 1941-1946
by Barbara Stephens Odderstol – North Carolina
I am Barbara Stephens Odderstol;
my sister is Ruth Stephens Baker and a
member of the "Pioneers Society". (I
have neglected to join, lo, these many
years.) Ruth asked me to convey any
memories I had of our father,
Stanley G. Stephens, during the war
years.
In 1941-1946, I was away attending Wasatch Academy in Mt. Pleasant,
Utah, because the elementary school at
the Canyon only had grades 1-8. At
the time I graduated from the eighth
grade at the Canyon, the students
numbered 60! Much of the tourist
business (accommodations and sightseeing) had closed down. Only the El
Tovar remained open with a much
reduced staff. There were still some
tour buses and trail trips, mostly in the
summer. And the Santa Fe Railroad
still ran a regular schedule on the spur
line from Williams.
Our father was bookkeeper for the
Fred Harvey Transportation system,
and he had an office in the main
garage. Very few people had cars. I
don't remember when it was
purchased, but our first car was a 1936
Chevy. However, we walked every
where because of the rationing of tires
and gas. Everyone had a Victory
Garden, Dad included, and these were
tended in a fenced-field behind the
"New Elementary School" near the
tennis courts and the grandstand where
occasional rodeos had been held.
During that time, Barry Goldwater
would occasionally visit. My dad
claimed that he and Barry were the
only two Republicans in Arizona at the
time. Barry loved the Canyon and even
discovered an arch near the North Rim
on one of his solo flights.
Our dad was known for his
integrity, wit, and wisdom. I don't
recall when he was appointed Judge,
but he kept the office for as long as I
remember and he kept the title until
the day he died. He loved the "people
of the world" who came to see our
Wonder of the World and he always
enjoyed people-watching whenever he
chanced to travel to a metropolitan
area: Washington, DC, NYC, Paris. I
know he practiced his Free Masonry
principles every day of his life. The
Masonic Lodge, at the Canyon, was
quite active and contained a wonderful
brotherhood of men. Just about
everyone I knew was a Mason.
If I remember correctly, there were
just about 300 people in the Village
during the winter months of the war,
but then, Christmas vacation would
have been the only time I was there.
I'm certain that my mother saved her
ration stamps for special treats when I
came home. Shopping, of any kind,
was done at the General Store. Now
and then, someone would offer to
drive to Williams or Flagstaff for a
large shopping excursion for groceries,
clothes, or a trip to the dentist. There
always was one doctor in residence at
the Canyon, but no dentist. The social
hierarchy consisted of the various
managers of the hotels, the Masons,
and the ladies' bridge group.
During the war, there was an
active Red Cross group of women who
knitted and rolled bandages. The men
(our father included) also had air raid
duty since we were located not too far
from several major Army Air Corps
fields in the Phoenix area. Several of
our citizens joined or were drafted into
the Armed Forces, including more
than one Hopi Indian, one of whom
may have been one of the Ghost
Whisperers. George Scheck, husband
of a close friend of my sister's and
mine, was one of the original Navy
Seabees who was killed in the Pacific.
I do remember sensing the early
morning shock waves of the first
atomic explosion at Alamogordo. Of
course, we were all told that it was an
earthquake.
Then, on V-J Day there was a
tremendous celebration, Grand
Canyon style, of the power plant
whistle blasting while all of the
younger generation hung on to the fire
engine or anything else that had
wheels. No fire works, just wild,
abandoned joy and tears.
I hope this has given you some
insights into the lives and life of the
Grand Canyon Village so many years
ago. I'm glad to have had the reason to
cull up the memories and write it all
down. Please let me know if I can
elaborate or explain anything further.
Sincerely,
Barbara Stephens Odderstol
2000 Fairways West Dr.
New Bern, NC 28562
[email protected]
Grand Canyon Masonic Lodge #40 Officers
left to right John Cunningham, Jimmy Ricca, Curley Ennis, Stanley Stephens, next
five unidentified, Elmer Nelson, Art Metzger
[Photo from NAU Special Collections, Call no.: NAU.PH.99.21.28, dated 1930, Item: 4926]
GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL SOCIETY – THE OL' PIONEER, JUL/AUG/SEP 2006 5
Centennial celebration a tribute to family's strength
by Jackie Brown, Associate Grand Canyon News Editor
Though mention was made of the store's place in the
National Register of Historic Places, last week's ceremony
to mark Verkamp's 100th year on the South Rim was at
heart a celebration of more lasting structures.
"I have so many wonderful feelings about this store
here but really, it's just a box without people to direct it
and to prepare it, take care of it and guide it. I have to say
this is more of a celebration of family than of that shingled
box there," said Michael Verkamp, one of seven brothers
and sisters who grew up in the store their grandfather, the
original John G. Verkamp, started in a tent on the rim in
1905.
Michael and siblings Susie, Jane, Steve, John G. III,
Kelly and Lisa were joined last Thursday by more than
150 family members, friends, former employees and wellwishers from all over the country. The ceremony started at
2 p.m., but there was a celebratory air well before, as
arriving guests greeted one another with hugs and
exclamations as they gathered in front of the distinctive,
century-old building that held memories for most of them.
As Park Superintendent Joe Alston noted in his
remarks, "It's not only the 100th anniversary of Verkamp's
store but it is obviously a reunion here. It's remarkable to
see folks that a lot of us haven't seen for a lot of years."
Susie, who serves as president of the Verkamp's board,
led off the ceremony with welcoming remarks.
"It's just incredible to see everybody here," she said,
looking out at the gathering. "I hope my heart can contain
this. This is just unbelievable."
Then, before going on, she reminded the audience of
the backdrop for the last 100 years of the Verkamp story.
"I'd like to begin by just acknowledging where we are
here," she said gesturing toward the view, "at this
incredible manifestation of nature's power and beauty and
just a total gift to humanity, and just this amazing place."
A blessing was offered, in Hopi, by Phyllis
Kachinhongva, who grew up at the Hopi House alongside
the Verkamp youngsters, sharing a common front yard and
a lifestyle marked by the ebb and flow of the tourist trade.
"Our families have been woven together through time
with strands of joy, hardship, mutual respect and big love
for as long as I can remember," said Susie.
Intertwining stories was a theme that the speakers kept
revisiting through the afternoon, underscored by a
proclamation from Gov. Janet Napolitano recognizing the
store's centennial and honoring the family for their
"contributions to civic life, not just at Grand Canyon, but
also in Northern Arizona."
"Something that I've really come to appreciate lately is
how our story is not really unique," Susie noted. "If you
tweeze out any of these little strands, we're all just part of
these large historic pulses."
In his address, Alston recapped the family's story
starting where it becomes intertwined not only with late
19th century Northern Arizona's history, but in the broader
history of the westward migration.
Three Verkamp brothers John, Leo and Oscar came to
Flagstaff from Cincinnati, Ohio, and joined their fortunes
with five Babbitt brothers who were neighbors of theirs
back in Ohio. John first attempted to set up shop on the
South Rim, selling Babbitt merchandise, but abandoned
that effort. In 1905, he started a store of his own in a tent
on 2.5 acres, under a permit from the Forest Service
manager of the Grand Canyon Forest and Game Preserve
then the managing agency.
In January of 1906, he moved to the building, the same
one being used today.
The Verkamp's store was part of a wave of early 20th
century development on the South Rim that included El
Tovar and Hopi House, aimed at providing services for the
influx of visitors the newly-arrived Santa Fe Railroad was
expected to bring.
"What an extraordinary time," said Alston. "What I
admire is their spirit in order to take on those risks."
In the store's early years, John Verkamp hired
managers to run things while he pursued other business
interests throughout the county, including ranching, sheepherding and prospecting.
In 1936, with his other interests lost to the Great
Depression, he and his wife Catherine moved to the store,
where it became their home and main livelihood.
His son, John Jr., took over in 1945, and Michael,
representing the third generation to live in the store,
managed it for 23 years starting in the mid-70s. Through
all of those years, the Verkamp name became woven into
the park's history as well.
"Park files to this day mention the family jumping in
to help with social events, community emergencies,
participating in the school district, PTA and Rotary,
helping to build community structures like the Community
Building, clinic and Shrine of the Ages," Alston said. "In
fact (John Verkamp's daughter) Peggy was instrumental in
establishing the first library at the Canyon as well as
funding and construction of Grand Canyon High School."
Daily management of the store is now handled by Dan
Ashley and his wife Terri. They are the first nonVerkamps to act in that role. The seven grandchildren of
John Verkamp serve as the board of directors.
"It's fitting to remember that while the National Park
Service endeavors turn to corporate enterprises, Verkamp's
remains a family affair," Alston said to cheers and
applause from the crowd.
6 GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL SOCIETY – THE OL' PIONEER, JUL/AUG/SEP 2006
...continued on page 8
Grand Canyon Association Events
The Grand Canyon Association has produced Canyon Country Community Lecture Series, a series of lectures held in Flagstaff
and Prescott...and now also in Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale and Tucson.
Prescott lectures will be held at Sharlot Hall Museum, 415 W. Gurley (two blocks west of Courthouse Plaza). Space at the
Prescott lecture series is limited; please call (928) 445-3122 to inquire about seating.
Flagstaff lectures will be held at Cline Library, at the intersection of Knoles Drive and McCreary Road on the NAU campus.
Parking is available to the west of the library (Lot P13 on Riordan Road).
Phoenix lectures will be held at REI Paradise Valley, 12634 N. Paradise Village Parkway.
Tempe lectures will be held at REI, 1405 W. Southern Avenue.
Glendale lectures will be held at Glendale Foothills Library, 19055 North 57th Avenue.
Tucson lectures will be held at Western National Parks Association, 12880 N. Vistoso Village Drive.
All lectures are free and open to the public. If you have any questions about the events listed on this page, please write Grand
Canyon Association at PO Box 399, Grand Canyon AZ 86023 or [email protected] or call (800) 858-2808 or visit
www.grandcanyon.org.
July 19 – Tucson and July 20 – Glendale
August 1 – Grand Canyon
Carving Grand Canyon: Evidence, Theories, and Mystery by
Wayne Ranney
The Grand Canyon is perhaps Earth's most recognizable
landscape, yet scientists still vigorously debate how and when it
formed. This is not for lack of trying: geologists have been
studying the canyon for almost 150 years. Grand Canyon's story
through time is full of mystery and intrigue, deciphered in part
from the tiny bits of evidence in the walls of this stupendous
chasm. Geologist Wayne Ranney will discuss the role of the
Colorado River, which may have once flowed in the opposite
direction. Wayne will also touch on the evolving ideas of many
well-known early geologists, including John Wesley Powell,
Clarence Dutton and Eliot Blackwelder. He will introduce the
ideas of a host of modern-day geologists as well, who use
sophisticated techniques to glean information of the canyon's
cryptic geologic history. There are two presentations in Tucson
at Noon and 2PM. The Glendale presentation begins at 7PM.
Arizona Highways and the Grand Canyon: A Photographic
How-to by Richard Maack
Join us for an evening of photography. Richard Maack will
discuss the history of Arizona Highways magazine and the
storied periodical's influence on photography of the Grand
Canyon and the Colorado Plateau. Combining visuals from
vintage and contemporary photographs with a discussion of
photographic equipment and techniques, Richard's talk will
offer insights into Arizona Highways magazine, the history of
photography at the Grand Canyon and ways to improve your
own photographs. Richard Maack is the photography editor of
Arizona Highways magazine. He has shot images on
assignment for a wide variety of editorial clients, including
Arizona Highways, Sunset, Landscape Architecture, and many
other state and national publications. This Grand Canyon
presentation will be from 6PM to 7:30PM at Shrine of the
Ages.
September 17 -- Prescott
Glen Canyon Dam: Ecosystem Impacts and the Scientific
Search for Solutions by Andre Potochnik
September 27 – Flagstaff
Preposterous Landscapes: Exploring the Wild Terrain
of the Arizona-Utah Border by Gary Ladd
Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River profoundly
impacted the downstream river ecosystem in the Canyon. The
loss of endangered species, archaeological sites and sand bars
initiated studies resulting in an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) on the dam. Completed in 1996, the EIS was guided by the
Grand Canyon Protection Act, which requires continued scientific monitoring of downstream impacts to protect the river ecosystem. Andre Potochnik will highlight the state of the river
ecosystem, discuss actions that have been taken and present
future directions for preserving the natural, cultural and recreational resources in the Grand Canyon river ecosystem. Andre
Potochnik, Ph.D., is a Flagstaff-based geologist, educator and
river guide. For the past eight years, Andre has served on the
Adaptive Management Work Group to improve operations of
Glen Canyon Dam for the benefit of the river ecosystem in the
Grand Canyon. This Prescott presentation begins at 1PM.
The Arizona-Utah border is a stunning landscape of
ecological diversity and geologic features ranging from soaring
mountains to nearly impenetrable canyons. This photographic
journey will take you to many of the border country's wildest
areas, including the slot canyon known as "The Dark Arm,"
Coyote Buttes and Area 52 in Vermilion Cliffs National
Monument, Vishnu Temple in Grand Canyon and more. Gary
Ladd is a freelance photographer specializing in the wilderness
interior of Grand Canyon National Park and the sandstone
canyons in and around Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
His photographs have appeared in many books and periodicals,
including Life Magazine and Arizona Highways. Christa
Sadler's lecture has been cancelled, we are pleased to have
Gary Ladd presenting in her place. This Flagstaff presentation
begins at 7PM.
Kolb Studio Exhibit
Through October 15: Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography. The exhibit features historical
modern-day images from the greatest photographers to aim their lenses at the Canyon. A book with the same title will
be released to coincide with the event.
GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL SOCIETY – THE OL' PIONEER, JUL/AUG/SEP 2006 7
Centennial
...continued from page 3
Jo Pendry, who oversees all Park Service concessions,
presented the family with a certificate of appreciation
signed by NPS Director Fran Mainella, in recognition of
their service.
"This family really embodies the rich history of the
pioneer spirit and the movement west," she said. "We're
very proud of their contributions and the tremendous
record of service to the park, the community and millions
of visitors."
Michael said that keeping it a family owned enterprise
has been a challenge and acknowledged support from
family, coworkers and others over the years.
"I'm not a great believer in 'the Greatest Generation.'
I'm not a Tom Brokaw type of guy," he said. "I think all
the generations contributed equally with their energies."
Though he and Susie joked about their father's
"captive, low-cost" labor pool that helped him keep costs
down themselves, their siblings and visiting relatives who
came out to work in the summer they express nothing but
gratitude for the circumstances of their childhood.
"It's just been an incredible privilege filled with so
many blessings for us to be able to call this extraordinary
place our home," Susie said.
Michael, meanwhile, characterized himself and his
siblings as "the luckiest kids in the world," witnessing
some 300 "ho-hum, perfect sunsets," rainbows, double
rainbows and inversions that would last for days good for
the postcard trade, he noted.
Susie took time to pay tribute to the family's women,
who, she said, often didn't get as much mention as the men
though many were as brave and adventurous and left as
deep a mark. Her grandmother came west with a sister to
keep house for their brothers, who worked on the railroad.
And her Aunt Peggy pitched in when her brother, the first
John Verkamp died unexpectedly in 1944, keeping the
store in good health and looking after his widow and
children until John Jr. returned home from the war the next
year and assumed management.
Words of appreciation also went out to a host of
others, though before she even got started, Susie made
what she called her disclaimer.
"I wish there was time to talk about everyone who's
sitting here, so know that you're included in my heart even
if we don't get the words out to you," she said.
"First and foremost" she expressed deep gratitude to
Dan and Terri Ashley. She also acknowledged the family
members and friends who pitched in on the floor or were
invaluable in their support over the years.
She also thanked the Native American dancers, Hopi
sculptor Tony Pollacca and Navajo silversmith Tommy
Jackson for sharing their traditional skills at the event.
And, she thanked the Verkamp's staff, who remained
busy in the store serving customers and carrying on the
Verkamp story.
"Even though they're in there working, we consider
our staff to be the contemporary guardians of our family
tradition and our tradition of service to the community and
to the visitors at the park," Susie said.
During her closing remarks, one more, much
anticipated guest arrived a condor who circled high above
the "oohing" crowd, halting all remarks for the duration of
its brief visit and departing to applause.
As Michael had remarked earlier, "It's just another
day in paradise."
Grand Canyon Historical Society
P.O. Box 10067
Prescott, Arizona 86304-0067
03-06
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
8 GRAND CANYON HISTORICAL SOCIETY – THE OL' PIONEER, JUL/AUG/SEP 2006
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PRESCOTT, AZ
PERMIT #43